El Dorado County is home to a plethora of wineries with a passion for growing some of the highest quality grapes, as well as with experimenting in making them even better.
Before prohibition, El Dorado County was among one of the top wine producers in the state. Although there was a steep decline and even a stop to the production of grapes from 1920 – 1960, they quickly rose up as an important wine growing region after production began again in the late 60’s.
With such a rich history and past success with the unique climate, it is no surprise that El Dorado County produces some of the best wine around.
Here are some of the best wineries we like in El Dorado County:
Toogood Estate Winery – Somerset, CA
This winery is somewhat new to the game, but has already proven to be very impressive. Paul Toogood was a veterinarian, but had an itch to start a winery, and it is a good thing he did.
Toogood winery has become a unique and extremely popular tasting destination. There are incredible wine caves on the property that you can’t find anywhere else in the area. While their list of wines may seem short, they make up for it in quality. Not only the quality of the wine is amazing, but also the quality of the staff.
The staff at this winery has been renowned as some of the most educated and passionate in the business, and can answer nearly any question you have, whether it be about the soil, the barrels, or anything else.
Photo: Miraflores Winery
Miraflores Winery – Placerville, CA
This gorgeous winery will transport you into a world that feels like the south of France or a Tuscan hilltop. The wine tasting room in itself has an amazing story to tell. It was built using historical salvaged wood, Mediterranean stone, and custom-made/found treasures by craftsmen flown in from around the world.
The feel at this winery is a very elegant one, and it is obvious when admiring the beauty of the building that no corners were cut during the production of this fantastic winery. The grapes at their vineyard are on terrain that has very dramatic changes in elevation, which lend to a huge variety of flavor.
Mount Aukum Winery – Somerset, CA
Mount Aukum Winery, by no surprise, has the catchphrase of “Elevation Matters”. Their winery is located on a windy peak with rapid elevation changes that cause the grapes to have a very distinct flavor. They have a very extensive tasting list, and have won numerous awards particularly for their Petite Syrah’s and Zinfandels.
This is a much more casual experience than what you may expect at a winery, but it creates a very inviting space, and you don’t be surprised if you find one of the owners or family members visiting with guests or offering a spontaneous tour!
Photo: Mount Akum Winery
Sierra Vista – Placerville, CA
The owners of this winery, John & Barbara MacCraedy, have owned the property since 1972. John MacCraedy has done extensive research on the climate of El Dorado county and found that it is extremely similar to the climate in the Northern Rhone Valley of France.
Since those findings, they have focused a lot of efforts on the development of Rhone varieties. Visitors rave about this winery and the knowledge of the owner and winemaker himself.
